1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a breaker device used for switching a power cable, which is connected to a battery of an automobile, between an electrical-continuity state and an electrical-non-continuity state.
2. Related Art
Concerning this type breaker device, a breaker device disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei9-223439 is well known. As shown in FIG. 7, this breaker device is composed as follows. In the breaker body 1, there are provided two columnar stationary electrodes 2, 2 which rise from the breaker body 1. These stationary electrodes 2, 2 are engaged with a pair of cylindrical leg sections 5, 5 provided in a movable electrode 4, so that an electrical cable C can be switched between an electrical-continuity state and an electrical-non-continuity state.
However, the above breaker device is composed in such a manner that the stationary electrodes 2, 2 are separately raised. Therefore, it is difficult to meet a demand to downsize the breaker device. In order to solve the above problems, the present applicant is developing a breaker device composed as follows. As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of stationary electrodes 6, 6 are arranged on the front and the back side of the protruding wall 7 which is made of resin and raised from the breaker body so that the breaker device can be downsized, and a gate-shaped movable electrode 8 is put on this protruding wall 7. Due to the foregoing, a pair of leg pieces 8A, 8A arranged in the movable electrode 8 are made to come into contact with the stationary electrodes 6, 6, so that both the stationary electrodes 6, 6 can be switched between an electrical-non-continuity state and an electrical-continuity state.
However, according to the structure in which the stationary electrodes 6 are only arranged on the front and the back side of the protruding wall 7, there is a possibility that when a worker""s finger or an foreign matter gets into the breaker device from an upper opening portion, it comes into contact with a forward end of the stationary electrode 6. In order to prevent the occurrence of the above problem, it is possible to consider an arrangement in which the protective protruding section 9A is integrally arranged at an upper end of the protruding wall 7 as shown in FIG. 8, so that an upper portion of the stationary electrode 6 can be covered.
However, when the above arrangement is adopted, the following problems may be encountered. In the above arrangement, when the movable electrode 8 is inserted into the stationary electrodes 6, forward end portions of the leg pieces 8A strongly rub the protective protruding section 9A. Therefore, a surface of the protective protruding section 9A is scraped off by the leg pieces 8A, and the thus scraped resin powder gets into between the stationary electrode 6 and the leg pieces 8A. Accordingly, the electrical contact becomes unstable.
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention has been accomplished. It is an object of the present invention to provide a breaker device characterized in that: the size of breaker device can be reduced; it is possible to prevent a worker""s finger or a foreign matter from carelessly coming into contact with the stationary electrode; and an electrical contact of the stationary electrode with the movable electrode can be made stable.
A breaker device according to aspect 1 comprises: a pair of stationary electrodes arranged on both sides of an insulating protruding wall; and a movable electrode for short-circuiting the stationary electrodes to each other by putting the movable electrode on the stationary electrodes from a forward end side of the protruding wall, wherein an insulating protective protruding section for covering a forward end face of the stationary electrode from the forward end side of the protruding wall is provided at the forward end of the protruding wall, and a protrusion for expanding the movable electrode is provided in the forward end of the protruding wall or the movable electrode at a position shifted from the stationary electrode.
A breaker device according to aspect 2 is characterized in that the protrusion is formed protruding from the forward end of the protruding wall in a direction so that the protrusion can be more separate from a face of the stationary electrode than the protective protruding section. A breaker device according to aspect 3 is characterized in that the protrusion is formed in the movable electrode while the protrusion is protruding onto the protruding wall side.
The invention described in aspect 4 provides a breaker device according to one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the protrusion is provided on both sides of the stationary electrode in the width direction.
According to the arrangement of aspect 1, a pair of stationary electrodes are collected in a portion while a protruding wall is interposed between them. Therefore, the structure in the periphery of the stationary electrodes is composed so compact that the breaker device can be downsized. Further, since the insulating protective protruding section to cover a forward end face of the stationary electrode is provided at the forward end portion of the protruding wall, even if a worker""s finger or a foreign matter enters the breaker device from an upper portion of the stationary electrode, it is possible to prevent it from coming into contact with the stationary electrode. Furthermore, a protrusion to expand the movable electrode is provided on the protruding wall or the movable electrode. Therefore, when the movable electrode is put on, the movable electrode is elastically deformed by this protrusion so that the movable electrode can be separate from the protective protruding section. At this time, in the case of the arrangement of aspect 2 in which the protrusion is formed on the protruding wall, it can be considered that the protrusion is scraped off by the friction caused between the movable electrode and the protrusion. However, the protrusion is formed at a position shifted from the stationary electrode with respect to the inserting direction of the movable electrode. Therefore, even if powder of resin is generated when the protrusion is scraped off, there is no possibility that the powder of resin is interposed between the stationary and the movable electrode. Accordingly, there is no possibility that an electrical contact of the stationary electrode with the movable electrode becomes unstable.
In the case of the arrangement of aspect 3 in which the protrusion is formed on the movable electrode, it can be considered that the protrusion is scraped off by the friction caused between the movable electrode and the protrusion. However, the protrusion is formed at a position shifted from the stationary electrode with respect to the inserting direction of the movable electrode. Therefore, even if powder of resin is generated when the protrusion is scraped off, there is no possibility that the powder of resin is interposed between the stationary and the movable electrode. Accordingly, there is no possibility that an electrical contact of the stationary electrode with the movable electrode becomes unstable.
In the case of the arrangement of aspect 4, protrusions are located on both sides of the stationary electrode with respect to the width direction. Therefore, it is possible to stably lift the movable electrode from the protective protruding section, so that the movable electrode can be smoothly inserted.